Secret Circles

“Take over, Eggers,” he said to his driver, then looked at Jack and Weezy. “And

you … you two have caused a big problem.”

Jack watched Eggers sling Cody over his shoulder like an empty sack, then begin

jouncing the limp little body.

“What?s he doing?” Jack said.

“What you were attempting—only better. I assume that?s the Bockman boy?” Jack nodded.

“Yes, he—”

“Quickly, Eggers!” Mr. Drexler said. “Take him up to that sinkhole.” His

expression was stern as he turned to them. “Who do you two think you are, breaking

into private property and vandalizing it.”

“We didn?t vandalize anything!” they replied in unison.

He pointed to the water now bubbling through the opening and spreading over

the floor.

“That water is about to irreparably damage a lot of valuable furniture. I call that

vandalizing. Shut that trapdoor immediately.”

“We can?t,” Jack said. “The pyramid?s down there … in the water.” Mr. Drexler looked as if he were about to explode. “You—”

“Who cares about that!” Jack shouted. “Cody?s dead!”

He ran for the stairs, pounded up to the first floor and out the open front door. It had stopped raining, but thunder still muttered and grumbled off to the east. Eggers was at the curb, trying Heimlichs on Cody?s limp form.

It?s no use, Jack thought, feeling his throat lock. He?s gone.

And then a sloppy, soggy figure stepped from the shadows.

“Hey, what?s goin? down here?” he said.

Jack recognized Walt?s voice. He looked like he must have been standing out in

the storm the whole time.

“Get away,” Eggers said.

“Naw, man,” he said, leaning over the boy. His voice sounded clear, not a hint of

a slur. “I know this kid. I been waiting for him.”

He reached for Cody?s hand. Jack noticed with a start that he wasn?t wearing

gloves.

Waiting for him? Was this why he?d been hanging around Old Town? But how

could he possibly—?

He touched Cody?s hand and as soon as they made contact, Cody jerked and

coughed up what seemed like a quart of water.

Walt staggered back like he?d received a shock, then began to wander away. “Walt?”

Walt turned and gave him a dazed look, then faded back into the shadows. When Mrs.

Clevenger had told him to stop drinking, she?d said, You may be

needed in the next day or so. Was this what she?d meant?

What just happened here?

Then Weezy rushed up behind him.

“Jack!” she said as she saw Cody gasping for air in Eggers?s arms. “He?s alive!”

She threw her arms around Jack and squeezed. “He?s going to be all right!” Jack felt his throat tighten. He was all right … Cody was all right. He might have

nightmares the rest of his life, but he was alive.

He felt a surge of pride.

Because of us.

Mr. Drexler appeared. “Well, that will make things less complicated. I called in an

emergency. And while we?re waiting you two will explain exactly how that child came to be in the Lodge?s basement.”

Taking turns, Jack and Weezy launched into a rundown of the night?s events. Mr.

Drexler didn?t seem too surprised at anything until they mentioned finding Cody in the lost town.

He held up a hand and stared at them.

“You found him down there? How could he possibly have—?”

“The creature brought him,” Jack said.

Mr. Drexler froze as if hit by a paralyzer beam. After a pause he said, “Creature?

What creature?”

“Some kind of weird bear,” Jack said. “We never saw it except for its black furry

arms and claws. Oh, and I saw something wormlike stick out of the water at the end.” “I saw it too,” Weezy said, glancing at Jack. “Looked like a tentacle but that

couldn?t be, right?”

Mr. Drexler looked as white as his suit as he leaned heavily on his cane. “No … couldn?t be.”

“Are you all right?” Weezy said.

Instead of giving an answer he asked a question. “You say this animal brought

the child underground. Why would it do that?”

“It was feeding him,” Jack said. “Maybe to fatten him up?”

“No,” Weezy said. “It was bringing him toys … like presents. Maybe it was lonely.

It almost seemed to be treating Cody like its own child. Maybe it wanted a child and couldn?t have one.”

“?Like its own child,?” Mr. Drexler repeated in a soft voice.

Weezy added, “Yes. I mean, it got Cody to safety first, then couldn?t save itself.

That has to mean something.”

Mr. Drexler looked dazed as he shook his head. “Incredible. None of this,

however, mitigates your breaking and entering, and the destruction of Lodge property.

This will have to be reported to the police.”

Jack felt his chest tighten. His folks were going to kill him. Plus he?d have some

kind of criminal record.

He glanced at Weezy who looked like he felt.

We?re cooked, he thought. Deep fried and well done.

“At least we found Cody,” he said. “So it wasn?t all for nothing.” He looked at Mr.

Drexler. “Do you have to report us?”

The man gave him a disgusted look, then his features relaxed. “Perhaps

something can be worked out.”

“What?” Weezy said, straightening. “Anything.”

Jack?s mood lightened at the ray of hope, but he was wary of this man. “I wish to exclude all mention of the Lodge or the Order from this,” Mr. Drexler

said. “Even though it hasn?t been opened in perhaps a century, I do not wish it known that the building?s basement housed a trapdoor into the underground.” Jack said, “But Cody will—”

“The child was unconscious during his brief time in the basement. He nearly

drowned in the underground and came to up here on the street. He will have no idea

he was ever in the Lodge. But the same cannot be said of you two.”

“You want us to say we were never in there?” Weezy said. “But he saw us

underground. He?ll remember that.”

“Of course he will.”

Jack raised his hands. This didn?t make any sense. “Then how do we explain how

we got underground?”

Mr. Drexler stopped and pointed to the front yard of the house next door. “You?ll say you fell through there.”

Jack looked and didn?t see what he was talking about. Suddenly Cody struggled

to his feet and stumbled toward them.